The Majesty of Rajasthan Proposed Itinerary

This itinerary is designed to provide an experience that highlights the beauty and complexity of Rajasthan’s ancient history, while engaging participants in meaningful exchange with contemporary artisans and activists, issues of poverty, development and gender. Behind the places we travel, participants will notice an intentional progression that maximizes a facilitated group process of increasing challenge and depth as we move beyond conventional tourism to a transformative journey into place and self.

Day 1 Our journey begins in a peaceful garden sanctuary amidst the effervescent streets of one of the world’s most populated urban districts – Delhi. We spend our first day creating a group container, sharing stories, and acclimating to the sights and sounds of India. In the afternoon we travel back in time through the bustling ancient markets of Old Delhi by bicycle rickshaw and visit local tailors who style us out with appropriate dress for our journey through Rajasthan. We end the day with a stop at India’s largest and still very active mosque Jama Masjid and Red Fort, the last seat of the British Raj, before returning to Lutyens Bungalows where we break bread together with a traditional family style Indian meal.
Days 2-3 After a leisurely morning strolling the local parks near our hotel and engaging in group discussion and reflection to process our first impressions of India, we continue our journey through the layered histories of Rajasthan to the most visited site on earth – The Taj Mahal. Through guided tours we will experience the tragic romance that was the Mughal empire and the devotion and deception that ensued the erection of the great palace. We will explore the marble arts and the magical sunrise before moving deeper into the Rajasthani fabric to the current capital, Jaipur.
Days 4-5 In Jaipur, we dip into contemporary issues facing rural Rajasthani populations – struggles with access to education, poverty and corruption. We spend a day with our friends at Vatsalya Udayan, an NGO working with these problems by providing education and care for orphaned children and local villagers.
Day 6 From the complexity of modern urban life, we retreat on a challenging but magical expedition to the desert town of Jaisalmer where we explore ancient markets inside a medieval walled city, and travel via camel caravan to spend the night in comfortable tents under the open skies amidst a sea of sand dune.
Days 7-13 Entering our second week in India, we will travel back towards Delhi with a stop in the blue city of Jodhpur. Here we slow down our pace to explore this great city with its famed castles and historical districts. We connect with local artisans and activists to learn more about Rajasthani arts and culture and listen to the stories of women in India working with the Sambhali Trust to forge a life of empowerment and prosperity against difficult odds. Making a day-trip out from the city, we follow their stories back to their village of origin, experiencing first-hand the radical dichotomy of rural and urban India in a traditional Rajasthani village.
Days 14-15 From the heart of Rajasthan, we board a quintessential feature of travel in India - a comfortable overnight sleeper train – and make our way back to Delhi. Comfortably hosted by the warm hospitality at the Imperial Hotel, we take space to wrap up our journey, engage in a larger session of storytelling and debriefing, and prepare for the long return home. The Imperial Hotel is an experience in and of itself, having hosted numerous world leaders and world-famous for it’s intricate turn-of-the-century décor it also affords us easy next-door access to the vibrant Connaught Place market. With a final farewell dinner, we say our goodbyes and put formal closure to this transformative journey.
Day 16 Participants travel home